Friction-clutch.



N. W. GALES.

FRICTION CLUTCH.

APPLIOATION FILED .TULY27,1910.

Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

uMmA IILANOGRAPH co., WASHINGTON, D c.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFioE.

NICHOLAS W. eALEs; or WATEZRLOO, IOWA, ASSIGNO'R TO WILLIAM orALLowAv COMPANY, or WATERLOO, IOWA.

FRICTIONCLUTGH.

Specificationof Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, NICHOLAS WV. GALEs, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Waterloo, Blackhawk county, Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Friction- Clutches, of which the following is a specification' -My' invention relates to improvements in friction-clutches, and the object of my improvement is to provide 'a' friction-clutch for the driving-shaft of a centrifugal cream separator, or for any rotary shaft, which 'is capable of being adjusted in its application without shock to the driven mechanism.

This object I have accomplished by the means i which are hereinafter fully described and claimed, and which arev illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an nd elevation of my friction-clutch. Fig. 2-is a central vertical axial section of said friction-clutch, taken along the middle longitudinal line of the hub' u and its arms I). Fig. 3 is a broken perspective detail-of one ofthe ends of the swingingfriction-head carrying lever. Fig. 4 is a perspective detail of one of the friction-heads.

"Similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

While my improved friction-clutch is especially designed and useful when used in connection with the driven-shaft 7c of a centrifugal cream separator (not shown), it may be equally well applied and used on any driven-shaft.

On one end of the rotary or driven-shaft 7a a cap-sleeve d is removably secured by means of a set-screw 21 or by any other suitable means of fastening. The hub t of a driving belt-wheel a is loosely mounted upon the sleeve d. Another hub u is mounted upon the sleeve d and in contact with the hub t, but is removably secured to said sleeve by means of a split-key 0. The bearing: opening e of the hub u is elongated to permit of the hub rocking upon the sleeve along the middle longitudinal line of the oppositely extended integral arms I) of said hub. These arms with their hub u form a medially fulcrumed lever adapted to rock on said sleeve 42.

The belt-wheel a has a flat web p facing the lever 72. The ends of said lever are jwidened at r and s, and the end 8 is pro- Vlded with a pair of studs Z projecting toward the web 19 but adapted to movably fit the sockets m of a wooden or fiber friction- ?head h which is interposed between the le- Tver-end s and the abutting face of the web p. The other widened end r of said lever 6 1s provided with an interiorly-threaded bearing-opening n to movably receive the :threaded part of an adjusting-screw f, the jpoint of said screw being adapted to enter 5a socket 0 in another friction-head 9, also 10f woodor fiber, which is interposed be- ;tween said end 9" and the abutting face of said web [9. A

I I aim to prevent shocks being transmitted ifrom a prime-motor such as particularly an gmternal-c'ombustion engine of the reciproicating type and its belt-wheel a to the driven-shaft 7c, and my friction-clutch is so idevised as to permit the friction heads to ibe applied gradually and with some slippage to said wheel while the latter is rapidly rotating. This device is operated to connect the shaft at times with the driving pulley, and when adjusted by means of the screw f, for driving, the tension of the friction-heads may be made such against the web of the pulley as to ordinarily drive the shaft but yet slip under unusual jars or strains. This adjustment is secured by means of the manually-operable adjustingscrew f. When the screw f is turned,in one direction, it bears against the friction-head r, and brings the latter gradually into tight contact with the web ;0 of. the rapidly rotating belt-wheel a. Since the lever is medially fulcrume'd on the sleeve d, the action of the screw f in moving out the end '1 thereof, has the effect of forcing the end s against the other friction-head lifandthe head h is thus equally gradually brought into engagement with the web pl By these means. all shock is avoided in-setting the shaft 70 in rotation, and the'clutch is disengaged by merely turning back the screw f.

Having described my inventiomnwhat; I, claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In combination, a driven-shaft, a driving-wheel rotatably mounted thereupon, a hub loosely mounted and secured to said shaft to rotate therewith and to rock thereon, said hub having oppositely-projecting arms, removable friction-heads located between said arms and the said driving-vi l eel,

other friction-head to engage the abutting face of the drive-wheel gradually.

2. In combination, a driven-shaft, a drivingwheel rotatably mounted thereon, a hub connected to said shaft suitably to both rotate therewith and rock thereon, said hub having oppositely-projecting arms, removable friction-headslocated between said arms and the abutting face of said drive-- wheel, and an adjusting-screw movable in an interiorly threaded opening in one of said arms against the adjacent frictionhead, and adapted when turned in one direction to gradually press said friction-head against said Wheel, and to rock said arms to cause the other of said arms to press the other friction-head gradually against said wheel.

H 3. In combination, a driven-shaft, a capsleeve detachably secured upon one end thereof, a driving-wheel rotatably mounted upon said sleeve, a hub loosely mounted on said sleeve and secured thereto to both r0 tate therewith and rock thereon, said hub having oppositely-projecting arms, removable friction-heads located between said arms and the said driving-wheel, and means connected to one of said arms and cause the other friction-head to engage the, abutting face .of the drive-wheel gradually.

4. In combination, a driven-shaft, a capsleeve detachably secured upon one end thereof, a driving-wheel rotatably mounted upon said sleeve, a hub loosely mounted on said sleeve and securedthereto to both'ro-' tate therewith and rock thereon, said hub having oppositely-projecting arms, removable friction-heads located between: said armsfand the abutting face of said drivingwheel, and an adjusting-screw movable in an interiorly-th'readed opening in one of said arms against the adjacent frictionhea-d, and adapted when turned in one direction to gradually press said friction-head .against said wheel, and to rock said arms to cause the other of said arms to press the other friction-head gradually against the :abutting face of said driving-wheel.

5. In combination, a driven-shaft, a captably mounted on said sleeve and having a ffriction web, a hub provided with an elonjgated bearing-opening and mounted uponv said sleeve, means for securing said hub to said sleeve to both rotate therewith and .rock thereon, said hub having oppositelyprojecting arms, one of said arms having lguide-studs extending toward said drivingfwheel, a friction-head between said arm and @said wheeland having sockets adapted to 'movably receive the studs on said arm, a ifriction-head between the other arm and Esaid wheel, and having a socket on its outer face, an adjusting-screw movable through an interiorly-threaded opening in the latiter arm to engage the adjacent friction-head movably in its socket, and adapted to grad- :ually force said friction-head into engage- :ment with the face of the web of said drivling wheel while rocking said arms to'simultaneously cause the other arm to equally and 5 gradually force its adjacent friction-head jagainst the abutting face of the web of said i driving-wheel.

and to the friction-head interposed be- 6. In combination, a driven-body, a drivthe arms of said lever and said drivingbody, and means adapted to so rock said lever as to'gradually engage the interposed friction-blocks against said driving-body and cause the driven-body to be gradually set in rotation therewith.

Signedat Waterloo, Iowa, this 8th day of July .1910. I v NICHOLAS w. GALES.

T VVitnesses':

' FRANK RIoE,

' D. YOUNG.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents eacl nji by addressi g th iu commissionr of Patents! Washington, D. G." 

